Buying a boat often has something to do with feelings. In most cases, the first steps or the first glance say a lot about the feeling of well-being on board. It becomes even more interesting when you can help design the new boat yourself.
This is what the owner couple on our test boat, the Aquanaut 400 AC-DJ, did. The "DJ" stands for the owners' family abbreviation. The couple went to Mark Bakker, the head of Aquanaut, with their own drawings and had their boat built.
Of course, this is only possible within certain limits, because the hull is predetermined, but they have had a say in the interior layout of the boat and the equipment.
The result is a cruising boat with a bow, centre and, as the addition "AC" suggests, an aft cabin.
The owners have made themselves at home here in the stern. With a double berth, plenty of storage space and two stern windows (hatches) through which you can look directly out onto the water from the bed. A spacious toilet room is directly accessible from the cabin. Showering takes place opposite in a large wet room, which can only be reached from the vestibule.
A high partition between the hallway and shower is noticeable here. This is intentional so that no splash water gets into the corridor or onto the entrance door. The guests in the forward cabin have their own toilet room, but they also have to shower in the aft cabin.
All berths are characterised by aGood ventilation with slatted frame out. In the centre cabin, the foot area is only about 0.33 m high. This means you have to crawl into the berth feet first, which according to the owner and his guests works without any problems.
The galley, which is on the same level as the forward cabin, is easy to work in. Eating, chatting or watching TV takes place one floor higher in the saloon. A great idea: the table can be pulled apart and extended with a shelf. This means there is enough space for six people. The open aft deck is accessed via steps on the starboard side. Here you have to keep your head down to avoid bumping into the entrance hatch. However, the shipyard intends to improve this.
On the aft deck there is a large seating area and the steering position. The skipper sits there on a kind ofPilot's seatwhich can be adjusted in all directions. It stands on a platform around 15 cm high, which takes some getting used to when getting on and off. With the exception of the gearstick, which is a little far away, the controls and instruments are within easy reach and easy to see.
If you move the handle of the single-lever gearstick slightly forwards, the gearbox engages gently and the Aquanaut starts moving at around 2.8 knots. The 400 AC DJ becomes a touring boat at around 6.5 knots. Then you can achieve a range of just under 350 nm with one tank of fuel (500 litres minus 15% reserve).
At 7.5 knots, the stern wave starts to become powerful and increases noticeably until the top speed of just under 9 knots is reached. The noise level is around 70 dB/A in this situation and a comfortable 63 dB/A at cruising speed.
The test area was the Sneekermeer at around 5 Bft. However, the wind did not affect the good directional stability and it also hardly carried any spray onto the windscreen. In the event of rain or more spray, windscreen wipers help to keep a clear view. Although the windscreen is made of Plexi
glass, but aNano coating to protect them from scratches.
The convertible top guarantees a pleasant travelling climate on windy and cool days - as was the case on our test day. If it gets even cooler, an air heater in the cockpit ensures warmth and fog-free windows.
Back in the harbour, thegood manoeuvring characteristicswhich enable bow and stern thrusters.
If you want to do an oil and water check before setting off, you need to remove an extension board from the saloon platform on the seating area. The engine compartment flap in the floor can then be opened. To climb down, the service technician has to take a deep step into the engine compartment. He can manoeuvre easily on the starboard side, but to reach the opposite side, he has to "shrink his body width" - so he has to pull in his stomach and wriggle past.
The space is full of technical equipment with fixed connection lines and hoses. The tanks are held in place by straps, and a filter with drain and stopcock ensures safety in the diesel system. This is also provided by the electric and manual bilge pump and the fire extinguisher.
When it comes to the power supply, the owner relies on a huge battery bank with inverter so that he can operate the electric cooker and oven even without a shore connection.
The control centre is located in the saloon cabinet. There we also find a good installation with exemplary labelling. The equipment includes, almost as a matter of course, LED lights and navigation lighting that is approved for all German waters.
For the paintwork, Aquanaut relies on colour systems from International and AWL-Grip. The high-gloss paint surfaces of our test boat show that the work is of a high standard.
Her cappuccino colour on the above-water area of the hull gives the whole thing a particularly elegant touch. The same applies to the furniture, which was customised and fitted by the carpenters.
There are only a few shortcomings, such as the unclean putty edge on the driver's seat foot and a spring in the rear door catch that is too strong. On the other hand, we rate theRounded door handlesthe many handrails below deck and the railing.
All this is insolid construction and, together with the non-slip floor structures, provides a high degree of manoeuvrability. Should there ever be any problems with the steering, a tiller is ready to hand, which can be attached to a square head under the owner's berth.
You can read the full test of the Aquanaut 400 AC-DJ in the August 2018 issue of BOOTE. The magazine is available in DK-Shop available.
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